Tainted: Origins
by Kelpurple90
Summary: A group of one-shots that explain some of the character's backstories in the story 'Tainted'. Contains Yogscast and other Youtubers. Story 1.5/Side story 1 in Tainted series.
1. Forgotten Past: Livid

A/N: Let me quickly explain this. These will be short little one-chapter backstories of characters that I think can/should have a backstory. For example, this one is about how Nano changed, and why Lalna was actually going to Sjin's Farm. There will be a few of these - really anybody I can think of that can have a backstory like this. So, enjoy~

* * *

"So what are we going to do today, Lalna?" I heard her energetic voice from behind me, turning to face my apprentice. She was just as perky as always...still having the signs of the taint. It hadn't got hold of her, not yet. I still needed to fix that...but I don't know how. "Are you going to teach me some more new cool stuff?" She asked, smiling. Her smile...it made her so cute and beautiful. I couldn't help but love her, but I never said that to her; I don't know how she would react. I smiled in return, nodding.

"Yeah, something like that. But first we're going to have to go mining." Her attitude didn't even falter. She didn't mind mining, as long as she was equipped. That was something I loved about Nano. Always optimistic, always smiling; even when she talks about Sjin, she says about getting him back but I know it's just a joke. She's too pure, too innocent, and a little unknowledgeable, to do something like that. That's why she's my apprentice, after all. I teach her the ropes while we both have a good laugh. Soon her adored ruby pickaxe was in her hand, and we started our journey. I watched my apprentice with awe – I still didn't understand how she could be so optimistic all the time, even when everything was going badly. Maybe because she wasn't from the area she was taught how to be so energetic and happy. I don't know. But I love it. I let my own pickaxe rest on my shoulder as we neared a cave. To get to it we had to traverse some taint. I was always hesitant about trekking through taint, but Nano insisted it was fine. I watched as she walked straight into it. Then she stopped. Shit. "Nano?" I called out cautiously. She didn't reply. Taking a few steps, so I was at the edge of the taint, I reached out towards her. "Nano, are you ok?"

"S-Stay back!" She shouted, my hand retracting instantly. "This...i-isn't right..." She whispered, clenching her hands around her head. My eyes grew wide behind my goggles, watching my apprentice scream in agony. And I did nothing. She told me to stay back...so I did. Why didn't I instinctively try to help her? "Lalna...I'm..." Her body became still. Moments passed by while neither of us did anything. Was she ok? I couldn't tell, she was facing away from me. Had the taint...? No...

"Nano, talk to me. Are you ok?" I repeated my question. "Look, we should get going-"

"Lalna. Hehe, oh Lalna. Or...maybe I should call you..._**Livid**_." I flinched. Livid?! How did she know about Livid?!

"W-What are you talking about? I'm Lalna, that's it." I replied quickly. There's no way she could know about Livid...no way... She couldn't!

"Oh, have I hit a nerve?" She whispered. She then winced, clutching her head again. "L-Lalna, run! Quick!" Her face turned to me, her eyes full of pain. "I-I have a bad feeling...Xephos..." Nano collapsed on the ground, the taint swirling around her. I stepped back a few steps, stumbling a little. I watched as the taint flared, coming towards me. As quickly as my legs would move, I ran. I ran as fast as I could back to our base. If I could get there, I could make a flying ring. It's a bit old, but it'll work. "Yes, RUN! You need to run, Lalna! No, your true name is **LIVID**, ISN'T IT?! Why don't you return to your true self, **Livid**!" The words stung me. I disowned the name Livid ever since...ever since the Tekkit War. I couldn't bear to use that name. Not now, not anymore. I tried to ignore the shouts as much as I could, repeatedly hearing '**Livid**' being screamed and shouted at me. Half because I didn't want to face the truth and half because...it was HER voice. The taint was using HER voice. Oh poor Nano...why? Why you? This is my fault. But I can't dwell on that. Nano wouldn't want me to. Her beautiful smile...she'd want me to carry on. Save her. That is what I'll do. Save her.

* * *

"Honeydew! Xephos!" My shouts were fruitless, as neither the dwarf nor the spaceman answered. I walked around the desolated compound of the Jaffa Factory. It was slightly more repaired than when we first found it, but it still needed a lot of work. I noticed a note left on a crafting bench. I picked it up, reading it.

_GONE DIGGING. BE BACK LATER. Honeydew._

"Damn it..." That was helpful. Clenching my hand into a fist, I scrunched up the note. "Now what am I supposed to do?" I went back through my mind. With her last conscious self, Nano said about Xephos. Is he in danger of the taint? Where could Xephos be? With him helping out everywhere, it would be a bit hard to narrow it down. 'He's not at the Jaffa Factory...he's not at Baked Bean Fort...he wasn't around our base...where else could he be?' I thought. Suddenly it came to me. "Sjin..." I whispered, dropping the note as I ran out of the compound. If Xephos was in trouble, like Nano warned, Sjin...he could be in danger. If Xephos was tainted...Sjin would be in GREAT danger. "I'm coming for you Sjin. I won't let you be tainted too." I whispered to myself. I HAD to save him. I couldn't really work out why he was so important, but he just felt it to me. Maybe the past can truly be forgotten...

_[Lalna...I will return. Ḷ̰̭̣͙i̫̯̬̖̜v̪ìḍ̟̲ is c̲͔̟͖̟o̙͕̠̙m͔͉̭̣̥̥͝͞i̢̡̗͖n̩g͢͏̬͙̟̟̹̭̺~~]_


	2. Primitive Trottimus (The Pendant)

"Trott, build me a boat."

"Go on, build us some boats."

"Why do you need boats?" I watched the two standing before me. The green arsonist and the pencil beard. Not my names for them – the watchful Overseer named them, but that story is for another time. They're so annoying at times, asking me to build everything. First it was just helping, but now I'm making everything! I just wished they'd give me a bit more appreciation sometimes instead of just demanding things. I shook my head, turning away. "No. I need to do something productive. That taint is getting closer and I'm getting a bit worried." I replied simply. "So, you can make your own boats." I took a few steps down the stairs before one of them spoke.

"I'll come with you mate." The green arsonist, also known as Alsmiffy, was by my side. I was glad. Him and I alone...I've waited for this day. I nodded, almost reaching out for his hand. 'No.' I thought. 'I can't. Not yet.' The two of us walked in silence as we left Ross, or Djh3max, to his building. I never had the patience for that, but at least we wouldn't just have a box for a home.

* * *

"So what's worrying you about the taint, Trott?" I glanced at Alsmiffy. "Is it being more active, or just because it's getting closer?" This was new. He never really seemed interested in much I was doing. But it was a nice change, for once.

"Well, you remember Nano, right?" He nodded. "Lalna still hasn't found a cure for her. I know she's still stable, at the moment, but what if something like that happens to us? What if one of us is infected, and then it starts changing us?" I explained. "I just don't want to take any chances. I know that's YOUR style, but there are three of us here." I added. Alsmiffy smiled, nodding.

"Good enough for me." He looked ahead as he walked. My gaze kept on shifting back to him. I just couldn't help it. I had already fallen for him, but...I don't know how he felt. Did he feel the same way? "It's not too far now, is it?" As soon as he asked the question, the taint entered our view. We stood a few metres from it, watching it from afar. "So...what did you plan on doing with it?" I opened my mouth to speak...but I had nothing. I didn't actually have a plan on what to do with the taint when we got here. "...Great. And you're supposed to be the brains of the group." I glared at Alsmiffy, but his playful gaze instantly caused my anger to disappear. My lips formed a smile, which he noticed.

"Everyone has their blank moments, right?" I replied. Alsmiffy just shrugged. He walked towards the taint, which caused my heart to skip a beat. "B-Be careful!" I called out, sounding a little more concerned than I realised. He glanced back at me, blinking. I watched his relaxed expression, blushing a little. I shouldn't have reacted like that, but he doesn't seem to mind much.

"Don't worry, mate. I'll be fine." He winked. I decided to follow him, quickly grabbing his arm. "What? You scared?" He asked, but it wasn't teasing. I didn't notice the small blush on his face as the two of us made our way closer to the taint. What I did notice was the sharp breath he took, and the pain in his eyes. I stopped instantly.

"Smith? What's wrong?" I turned to my friend, his hands shaking. He looked like he was about to collapse.

"I...don't know. But...my head kills."

"We need to go, now!" Within a second I had turned him around and started pushing him back from the taint. There was something other than pain I saw in his eyes, just for a split second. Something I wish I didn't. I slipped my pendant from my neck, closing it in Alsmiffy's palm. "Smith, go back to Ross and—" I stopped, something constricting around my neck. I couldn't breathe...but I didn't need to. The world was numbing around me. The green man turned to face me, watching me with terror in his eyes. Why...? Why was he scared? I...I can feel it now. **Mother**... Falling onto the ground, I just sat. Sat and watched. I didn't even hear his shouts, listening to Mother. ...Yes, Mother. Of course Mother. The power of taint...I feel it in every bone in my body. Everything felt good. Everything felt right. Slowly I stood. Finally I heard him.

"-Talk to me Trott!" His shouts stopped when I stood. "Trott...oh shit..." I didn't know nor care what he was afraid of. He shouldn't be. I slowly reached out towards him, as he backed away. Suddenly a sharp pain pierced my head, causing me to wince. What am I doing?! This isn't right! I need to break free! I can't...I can't do this! I...**M̢̬̭oth̝̹͙̠ͅe̘͎̣̞͉̖r**͙̱...

"Mother will set you free." My voice caught in my throat after that. What am I saying? No...No...I can't... His eyes...so full of fear and terror. He was scared of me. He shouldn't be...we should be friends...but...**I will change him**. N-No! "Smith, run! R-Run!" That was the last will of my own. Now...I will do as Mother asks. I watched him run, smirking a little. "The alchemist...yes Mother. I will set him free. And the architect. They will both be free..." I got down onto all fours, before I took off after him. He would not escape.

* * *

Smith's POV

I watched him change. It was my fault he changed. The taint...it was messing with me. I could feel its power, its presence. That made him lower his guard...as he was concerned for me. Oh shit, what have I done?! I heard his lasts words, the true him:

"Smith, run! R-Run!" I had to obey. If I did not, I too would be changed. I had to warn Ross. He was alone in the building, minding his own business. He had no idea about what was going on. Oh crap, how am I supposed to explain this? How will we escape? If Trott traps us in the building...we'd be dead for sure! These thoughts kept moving around in my mind, causing me to not pay attention to where I was going. I almost tripped, just being able to keep balanced. I burst through the doors of the building, glancing around. No sign of the architect.

"Ross! Where the fuck are you, Ross?!"

"Whoa, calm down." His voice came echoing down from the level above, which I instantly went up to. He was holding some marble in his hands. He saw my face, confusion spreading across his. "What's wrong, Smith? What's happened?" I quickly grabbed his wrist, dragging him down the stairs. "Smith! What are you doing?!" I ignored his protests. There was no time. Any moments longer and Trott would be here. Oh Trott...why was it you? The small, cute walrus. Now just a pawn of the taint. Ross decided to use his energy for running instead of arguing. Especially when HE appeared. We both froze, watching our former friend. There was no sign of him now. The taint had enveloped him, signs of it all over his being. "Oh crap..." Ross whispered.

"Now do you understand?" I muttered, before we both took off in the opposite direction to Trott. I glanced back, and soon noticed he wasn't following us. Instead he had just disappeared inside the building. Though, the taint itself DID follow us. "We have to run. We can't stop, not for too long. Or else we'll become like Trott." I explained to Djh3max, who just nodded. He was shocked, seeing Trott for the first time like how he was. On the other hand, I had already seen him, and instead was more focused on trying to find somewhere safe. Neither of us was prepared well enough, but we didn't have the time. I looked down at the pendant he had given me. Engravings were etched into the surface. I remembered it well; I initially gave it to him as a gift. He loved it so much, and I could never work out why. I felt my finger run over something on the back, turning it over. It read 'I love you Smith'. So that was why. He loved me...as I loved him. I never had the courage to say...and now he was taken from me. Trottimus...I'd find a way. I need to save you somehow. If Lalna has a cure...I'll find him. If not, someone else must. Somehow...you will be saved.

_[You wanted us to be together, so now we are. Together we are f̵̢̦̲̜̮̪̞r͢͏̠͍̮̲̯͚ͅͅe̙̞͓͜e̴̛̘̻̖̭.]_


	3. Honeydew's Adventure

"Hey Honeydew, I'm going to Sjin's Farm." I glanced at my best friend, who was geared up for adventure as always. I put down what I was doing, looking up at the spaceman. "So, you keep safe, alright? Neither Lalna nor I are here to supervise you. Don't go blowing up the factory now." He explained. I tutted, folding my arms across my chest.

"What do you take me for? I'm extremely reliable!" I replied proudly, noticing him roll his eyes. "There's nothing to worry about, Xephos. Now, go enjoy your time on the farm." I smiled. Xephos nodded, lingering for a few moments before he set off. I waved to him as he left. It was sad, honestly. I didn't want to be left alone, but it was also that he was leaving me. My best friend...I know he'd return. 'Stop being stupid.' I thought to myself. 'He's coming back, idiot!' I decided to walk around the deprived factory one last time before setting off for digging. It was calling to me – my dwarven nature. I hastily wrote a note, just in case Lalna returned when I was gone.

_GONE DIGGING. BE BACK LATER. Honeydew._

Then I set off for my hole digging adventure.

* * *

"Diggy Diggy Hole!" I cried to myself as I continued my journey into the depths of Minecraftia. It was where I felt most at home – underground, in a hole. After all, I couldn't exactly return home after I was banished. It wasn't my fault, honestly! Anyway, that's for another time. I had taken off from the Jaffa Factory a little after Xephos mentioned that he was going to Sjin's Farm. Farming wasn't my style, so I told him to enjoy it while I'd go out digging; after I gave the factory one last check. It was still quite deprived, but it was to be expected. We hadn't been there in, what, a year? Maybe more than that. We learnt a witch had moved in, and we quickly dispatched of her. Cheeky bitch; moving into MY Jaffa Factory! Soon we'd be able to live there properly, instead of living at both the factory and Baked Bean Fort. I mined at stone, trying to find those precious ores. I didn't really know what I was mining for – it's not like I needed anything in particular. I just felt like getting out. Feeling pain strike my bare back, I shouted as I turned around. Standing there was a zombie. "Ah, ya bastard!" I took out my sword, slashing at the foul creature. It soon lay dead at my feet, leaving me in peace. If Xephos were here...he'd be having a heart attack. I only had a few torches left, so it was very dark down in these tunnels. He'd be panicking...oh I do love Xephos' little quirks like that. How he calls people 'Friend', his glowing eyes... I half wished I had invited Xephos on this mining trip with me. He was busy, but we could have made some time. Sighing, I paused for a while. I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes. It seemed more peaceful if you just let the world pass you by. But, I should get mining again. I didn't really know how long I had spent down here, but it didn't matter. It might have been over a day, but I used to mine endlessly at home. My true home. Though, I'd never return there. I had no need to. My friends were various beings OUTSIDE of the dwarven community. A spaceman, a scientist, a farmer, a grey man, those three weirdoes known as 'Hat Films', the owl maiden, the pool boy, the Enderborn and his red-haired apprentice, their dinosaur, the demi-god, that kind girl who hangs around with Lalna...so many people I had met. I didn't need my own kind now.

I continued to mine, before I heard a noise. Turning around, I was met with a skeleton. It shot an arrow which I barely managed to dodge out of the way of. I slashed through the remains of its torso, watching it crumble to the ground. I felt brave, strong. This was a kind of new feeling to me. Maybe because I usually had my friends I had no need to be strong. But now, when I was alone, I had to be or I would face the consequences. I continued forth into the cave, soon mining my way into a new cave. I was greeted with zombies and spiders, which I managed to destroy with ease. I was getting into my swing, getting used to the various mobs. Well...that was until a creeper blew up behind me. There was only a split second between when I heard it's hissing and it's exploding. I was thrown against the wall, which was luckily made of sand. If it were stone...I would surely be dead! I panted quietly, taking a few minutes to recover. Eating a pork chop, I stood up. I felt better now. 'Keep mining...' I thought, before noticing a different noise. One not of lava, or water, or mobs. One of sobbing, whimpering. 'What's that?' I thought to myself. Following the noise, that seemed to be ages away, lead me to a figure. I stood a fair distance away from them. I tilted my head as I watched them cry and sob and whimper and whine. They were shivering uncontrollably. What the fuck happened to them to cause them to become like this?! It surely couldn't have been normal mobs that did this to the poor man. I cautiously took a few steps towards the man, trying to be light on my feet. When I got closer, I suddenly realised who it was. Sjin?! Why was he here? What had happened to him? Oh shit, **I** have to help him. I reached out to touch his back.

"Sjin?"

_[The dwarf wants to be a h̴̝͕̬͓̺̗̋̐ͨ̌ͤ̐͗ę͉̠͎̙͓̮̫͐̊ͪ̉̍r͔̞̤̜̗̰̹ó̠̤̙̜̼̰́̿͒ͬͅ. I suppose he w̩̣̜̬a̷̝̣̙̘͉̥s͚ one, but not quite in the way he ẇ̗͇̞͟ȃ̱͓̦̙̥̖̩ń̤̍t͍̤̥̹ͯ̈́ͅe̷̤͖̬̤̗̜̔d̙̮̈.]_


	4. Run, Zoeya!

A/N: I found out what Zalgo is today. I've been trying to find out from this other thing I've been reading. If you don't know, it's kinda like tͩ̐̌͗hi͑s͂̇ͮ̆̇͗. It's crazy text that looks amazing. So on the other chapters in this (and one chapter in Tainted), I've changed a few words to have this text. Nothing major - just more artistic, I guess? xD Oh well, it's cool text to use either way. I'll try make them so the words are still legible too, so it doesn't ruin reading it. I also hope I don't go overboard when using it ;P It's a bit addictive since it's so cool~

* * *

"I'm coming with you, Rythian." The red-haired female stood before me, insisting she came with me. "That's final." I sighed, glancing away. I didn't want her to get hurt – I cared for her too much.

"Zoeya...are you sure? It might be dangerous. Why don't you stay here with Teep? He'll protect you." I suggested. The green dinosaur nodded, his trust bow strapped to his side. But my attempts to reason and persuade her were futile. She completely ignored my reply as she walked outside. I shook my head. So stubborn at times. I guess that's why I like her. I turned to my dinosaur friend. "Look after the base, alright?" I ordered. He nodded, waving as I left to find Zoeya. She hadn't gone far; she didn't know where she was going. I, on the other hand, did. My Ender senses were guiding me. I didn't really understand why, but they just were. I had told her it was juts a quick walk, just to get some fresh air. She just wanted to stay with me. Zoeya...my loyal companion and lover. Sometimes I wish you weren't so loyal. Our fingers intertwined as we walked together. I noticed her happy smile across her face, not being able to stop myself from smiling as well. At least nobody could see. I never removed my mask, after all. Only once...only to Zoeya, and I made her swear to never tell anyone about it – not even Teep. And she kept to her word. Loyal Zoeya to the end.

"So where exactly are we going, Rythian?" She asked curiously, watching the nature around her. She was always attuned to nature for some reason. Maybe because she's a little crazy. Another reason why I love her.

"Just for a walk, Zoeya; just as I said before." I replied calmly. I didn't want to create suspicion, especially when I could feel...something. I still didn't know what my Ender side could feel. If only I were a little more adapted... No. I CAN'T let that side take hold. Never...I will never let it happen. "I said I'd be fine alone, but you insisted on coming along." I reminded her. She giggled, making me smile more. "Are you enjoying it?" Zoeya nodded, her child-like eyes staring back into my Ender ones. "I'm glad..." I whispered. I watched her gaze shift, looking at something in the distance. I followed her gaze, seeing a pool of purple. What...? This looked bad. Zoeya let go of my hand, walking towards it. "H-Hey, Zoeya...you shouldn't go near that." I warned, but she didn't listen. I took a few steps forward as she got closer. Something wasn't right; my Ender side was flaring, screaming, shouting at me. I didn't understand. What was wrong?

"Rythian, this looks all gooey..." Zoeya called back. Her eyes were off the taint, and I watched it grow behind her. It was going to attack her, I felt it. I had to act **instantly**. Using my Ender powers, I teleported next to Zoeya, using myself as a shield as the taint came crashing down on my torso. I growled, pushing Zoeya away from the taint. She was stunned but I had to get her moving.

"Run, damn it! Just run, Zoeya!" I shouted, pushing her again. I felt the taint all converge on me, soon my vision becoming blurred with blood. Through the taint and blood I watched Zoeya flee. At least I could die knowing she was safe...I guess. "Bastard taint..." I muttered, using Enderbane to slash at the taintacles. They moved away, giving me a chance to recover. Glancing around I tried to find an escape. I found none. Soon they would be on me... Zoeya...have I failed you? I said I'd protect you...I suppose that's not a failure. You're ok, you're running. Zoeya...I'm so sorry. Maybe this is it? I couldn't even tell what was going on anymore. Everything was a blur of purple and dark red. Am I dying...? Does it matter? I don't understand... Falling...fad̙̲̫̠̘̭i̞̯͉͇ng̠̼̠̤͕̩ͅ...

"Good night, **Ḛn̼̳̱͙͖̬̠d̦ͅe̱̗̥̗̺͙r̝̭͔̝̯b̞̳̙̞͍̱ͅo̮r̞̭̖n!**"

_[You protected me, R̳yt͖̗̱̯h̭͈i͍a̞̱n̖. Don't ever believe you didn't. You ALWAYS protected ḿ́͟e̴̡͜͟.]_

* * *

Zoeya's POV

I ran as fast as I could. I felt **guilty**, but I did as I was told. He knew what was best, after all. That's what I was telling myself. 'Run. Run because he told you to. Rythian knows what's best. I need to run.' I nodded. I didn't realise how far from Blackrock we had gone, but I had to get there. Teep was there. He'd look after me and then we could both go and find Rythian. I couldn't just abandon him after all the times he's saved me. It's a debt I would never be able to repay – but this was a start. Soon our base came into view. 'Yes.' I thought. 'Home. Teep will be there.' I ran twice as fast as I was already going, never once looking back. I burst through into the base, seeing the dinosaur standing there. Relief swept over me like a gentle breeze, as I ran over to my friend.

"Teep! Thank Notch you're ok!" I quickly hugged him, sighing quietly. "Rythian's been attacked! I don't know what by, but we need to help him!" I explained quickly, stepping back from the dinosaur. Something...felt off. I watched him for a few moments, and he made no reaction. "...Teep? What's wrong?" This wasn't right. Usually he'd be out in a second if I even hinted that Rythian was in trouble. But now...he did nothing. I hadn't noticed it before, but something was different about his eyes, and his skin... I winced, falling onto my knees. My body felt weak, tired. My vision was shaky, but I couldn't work out why. Soon I was having double vision, looking at my hands. Purple trails lined them...what? "What's happening...?!" I whispered, looking up at Teep. A figure appeared behind him, but I couldn't tell who it was. I watched them kneel down beside me, their hand running gently across my cheek. Tired...so t͕ḭr͚e̜̗̝̮d̲̱̣̗...

"Sweet dreams, Zoeya."

_[You ran, Z̋̒̇oͥͭ͌ͭ̍̌̈eỳ̀͛̌͋ͥ̇aͪͣ͗̔͆͒̆. But it ḓ̯͍̗͇̥̜̯i̫̻̗d͎̯͉́n̹̜͖̥̕'͎t̵̥̝ save you. You wanted to help him...but look what happened.]_


	5. Lalna 2: Lalna's 'Adventure'

I heard the laugh as clear as if he were beside me. I instantly stopped what I was doing, spinning around. 'Shit...Sjin!' A thought I never wanted instantly crossed my mind as I sprinted back to our marble 'house'. It was the closest thing to a house for now. Swapping my pickaxe for a sword, I easily traversed through the tunnels. More laughter...ugh, he's such an **asshole!** Taunting Sjin like that! My pace slowed as I caught the sight of marble and torches. I only need to get to the edge of the marble structure before I saw it. The sight almost made me throw up. My body felt weak as I slowly took the steps towards the lifeless body. No...Why did he die? I fell to my knees beside Djh3max. My hands were shaking, taking a few moments to steady before I attempted to find a pulse. There was none. The sight of the blood staining the previously clean white surface made me feel even sicker. I closed his eyes, slowly standing up. 'We'll avenge you. Either by killing him or curing him.' I nodded, turning away from the horrible scene. It was becoming unbearable to look at. Damn it, Alsmiffy! Damn that bastard Taint! I noticed torches leading away from the marble, so I decided to follow that. It was a start, at least. But, after a while, the torches suddenly ended. 'Sjin...now how am I supposed to find you?!' I cursed to myself, taking out my own torches. There were many pathways to follow. 'Pick one and pray?' I shrugged, taking off down one of the paths. There was no sign of Sjin, and now I was lost. 'Maybe I shouldn't have just run blindly into one of them.' I sighed, lighting up the way with torches. They were less frequent than Sjin's – he'd been spending too much time with Xephos. The spaceman needed his light, after all, so Sjin must have picked that habit up from him. I winced when I felt something lodge in my back. I glanced back, seeing a skeleton.

"Fuck you." I muttered. Slashing straight through it was easy, its bones collapsing onto the floor. I decided to leave the arrow where it was, for now, seeing as it wasn't too painful. Soon I heard more mobs around. "Great. Just great." I shook my head, running down the tunnel. I doubted Sjin was down this one by now – I would've found some kind of trail by now. The mobs were soon gathering around me as I tried to escape. "Shit..." Soon I began to slash wildly, which seemed to do the trick. I found an opening, running through. 'Light...just gotta find light...' I thought to myself. 'Shouldn't be too hard, right?' I sighed. Oh how wrong I was. The search for an opening seemed to take hours, all the time being bombarded by mob after mob after mob. I ended up being blown back by a creeper, bitten by a few spiders and clawed by zombies. Not to mention an arrow in my shoulder, just inches from where the last one was. I wished this would end. It was too painful; soon I would die. 'No.' I reminded myself. I couldn't give up. Sjin was out there somewhere. I needed to survive. If he had gotten out, I would need to be there for him. Light...am I dying? I can't be! No...Wait...that's...!

I burst out of the tunnel, onto the lush green grass. For a few moments I just lay on the ground, recovering. Breathing heavily; in, out, in, out. I smiled. I haven't done that in a while. I sat up slowly, my wounds being worse than before. "S-Shouldn't have rested..." I murmured, shaking my head. 'Sjin...' That's right. I stood up, groaning. Gripping my hand around the arrows, I yanked them from my back, crying out as I did. Only now did I realise that my flying ring had disappeared. "What? Where did that go?" I sighed, holding my head. "Great..." I muttered as I stumbled further away from the tunnel. Damn it – night. Why couldn't it have been day?! It's also sunset, meaning the night is only just beginning! "Just my luck!" I shouted. That was a mistake. I watched as zombies and skeletons turned to me, being alerted by my shout. Face-palming, I twirled my sword once. "Come on then...fight me!" And so they did. But...as the battling progressed...I began to hurt less. I didn't even notice as a zombie cut under my eye, causing it to bleed. My pain just disappeared. _Why?_

_H̵͖͉͢è͙̹̪̲̤l̴͉̭͍̱̤͙̗̥͢l͝͏̺̞͜o̮͙͈̺̙̣ ̜̫͈L̳̯̠̮͇̘͚̜͍a͉̳͓̩͚l̙͎̻̻̦͚̲ṋ̠̥̺a̻͈͉͈ͅ._

"Fuck off, **Livid**!" I muttered, the mobs depleting. I was left alone by the mobs, for now. Kneeling on the ground I panted heavily, trying to recover faster. "Leave me alone..." This is why there was no pain.

_W̮̣͈͔̟͈h̥̙̜y̺̲̮͎ ̹̺̭̺͇d̬͇̘͇̟͚o͙ ͈͙̤̱͖̫y̦͕͈̹o̮̭u͓͕̫̺̦ ̻̪h̷͎͕͉͓̦̪͔ͅa̧̼͈t͙̮͜e̺̳̱̗̩̙͚͚̞̘̤ͅ ͉͓͚͍̲̻̝̩m͔̫̬͙e̯̝̥,̠̝̗̜ ̞̞̻̣̟̮̝̫͖L͓͙̻̘̗͓̗a̠͎l̩͔̻̫n̹͙̺̰͉ḁ͎̤̪?̗͙͈̪̙͔͚̱_

I had to ignore him. Shut him out. I curled up on the ground, rocking myself gently. 'It's just your imagination, Lalna. He doesn't exist.' I thought. I could hear his deranged laugh that was not dissimilar to Alsmiffy's. Then he vanished. 'Good.' I sat on the ground. I closed my eyes, trying to relax, but my pain was slowly returning. 'Ignore the pain... Gotta get going...'

"Oh, look what I found!" Shit. "Hey, let's just keep you trapped here, and wait for your friends to find you! You're too **weak **to fight, Lalna, so we'll let them do the fighting!" Fucking **Alsmiffy**. Just who I wanted to be greeted by. I watched as the taint surrounded my frail body. Fine, let it surround me. He said he'd wait, so let him. They'll stop you, just you wait.

_[__O̡̖͕̗͍̲͓̙n̛̖̼͖͎̜̦͕͎̤è̠͉̟̜͍̲͓͟ ̷̠̺͔͜d̘̭̝̗̜͙͙͟ͅͅa̠̹̼y̧͚̞̤͖̫̝̲͎͢͟__, Lalna. One day you will __a̴̞͜c̘̲̞̣͘c̵̨͉̗̤̹̭͙̳̤̫e̵̥̝̘̭͚͉͘͘p̡̭̺̤̭͔̝̜̙t̴̩͉͕̲͇̯͖̹__me.]_


	6. Being Prepared: Lomadia

A/N: I wish I could reply to guest reviewers normally. But I can't, so I'll do this one here, since this has been bothering me: **Ckbrothers** - There won't be any new characters in this, just ones in the main story. Sips, Sky and Teep were all in the original story, even if they had very small parts (Sips was in carbonite so he was only referred to, while Sky/Teep were in 'The Castle', chapter 14. Sky was not named because I was doing it as a small cameo, not a major part, but he was still mentioned). Teep was included in Rythian/Zoeya's backstory because it made sense and I mentioned him in the main story being at the base, so it links together. The only other possible one I could include into the sequel would be TDM, since I know at least something about him, but it would be similar to Sky's involvement in the first story - extremely minor. The other two I've never watched and don't intend to include - Sorry.

**(If you don't care about the reply to the review, just read down from here like usual)**

* * *

"Lomadia, I found something!" I glanced over at Nilesy as he ran over to me. He was panting as he reached my side, so he took a few moments to recover. I stroked Mr Owl, waiting for Nilesy's news. "There have been rumours going around about a cure." I raised my eyebrow. A cure? That was new. I hadn't heard that one before. The usual _'The world is doomed'_ is the best I've heard. I took my hand away from Mr Owl, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"A _cure_?" I echoed. Nilesy nodded.

"Yup. Apparently there's a group of four travelling together, and I heard 'Enderborn' and 'Scientist'." Well that narrowed it down. Rythian and Lalna, for sure. I wonder who the other two were, though. Probably our friends, but which ones? I hadn't heard from Xephos in all of this... I hope he's ok. At least I knew both Rythian and Lalna were now. But, Honeydew? Sjin? Zoeya? Nano? I knew none of their fates. Nano I could guess...seeing as she was infected with the taint. Damn it...she's going to be caught up in this... "But..." I looked at Nilesy with concerned written across my face. "They didn't know where the group were heading." My hope faded. Even though they were alive, we had no clue where they were. "Don't give up, Lomadia. You can think of something." I blinked, hearing Nilesy's words of encouragement. I smiled, nodding. 'Right.' I thought, closing my eyes. 'How will I work out where they went...?'

"Hello friends." Startled, my eyes shot open. There standing, well _floating_, before us was the demi-god known as Ridgedog. "I see you have a problem. Care to share it with me, Lomadia?" I caught Nilesy's shocked look on his face. The demi-god always seemed to ignore him. I shrugged, sighing.

"Well...we've found out some rumours about what Rythian and Lalna are doing. They're working together to find a cure." I began. "But, there are two others with them and we don't have a clue where they are." I didn't realise until now but my hands were shaking. Was I nervous? A slight laugh formed in my mind. 'Nervous about what? ...Xephos.' I breathed slowly, regaining my composure. "Do you think you could help us, Ridge?" The demi-god thought for a few moments, leaving the three of us silent. He then nodded.

"Of course!" He smiled. "Now, who do you think could be with them?" What? Why is he asking us this? Surely it's more important to find them than to know who they're with.

"Ridge, is that really..."

"Lomadia? Who haven't you seen on your journey?" Again, Nilesy was cut off by Ridge. I was surprised he kept his frustration inside, actually. I thought – there were quite a few people Nilesy and I hadn't seen.

"Well...there's Xephos, for a start. He hasn't contacted me at all." I began. There was a look of concern that flickered across the demi-god's face, but I continued regardless. "I haven't heard anything from Honeydew either. It would make sense if they were the two with Lalna. But...the last place Xephos was...was at Sjin's Farm. Maybe the two are Xephos and Sjin? I doubt it's Nano, since she was infected earlier." I sat on the ground. "Sips is still in carbonite, so he's probably still on the farm. Hopefully the taint can't get through to him."

"Rythian would want to be with Zoeya and Teep, though." Nilesy pointed out. "Either these villagers miscounted how many people there were, or something has happened to some of them." He explained. That was true – there were contradictions in the number of people we hadn't seen and how many were in the group. So...either they just weren't with the group, or... Shit. I held my head, sighing.

"How is this helping, Ridge?" I asked.

"I'm preparing you."

"For _what_?!" My reply was more aggressive than I had intended. "S-Sorry..." I muttered. "It's just... I guess this is all getting to me. The end of the world, and everything." I laughed slightly. "Fuck... Do you know where they are, Ridge?"

"I don't know exactly, but I can tell you the direction." Ridge guided us both to the opposite end of the village. "They were heading that way." He pointed out of the village. "I caught a glimpse of something crossing the mountain only a day ago. If you hurry, you'll be able to catch up with them. They shouldn't be too far." He explained. I nodded, turning to Mr Owl. Stroking him, I whispered something to him and he began to grow. Nilesy and I hopped onto the large Mr Owl and were set to take off before Ridge added: "Oh, Lomadia. I believe that one of other the two you will find is Sjin." Sjin? How could he know? But, I guess there's no point questioning anything about him.

"How do you know it's Sjin?" Nilesy voiced the question I didn't bother asking. It seemed like Nilesy shouldn't have either.

"Safe trip!" Ridgedog then flew away. "Oh, and my mansion's this way, so bring them back here, alright?!" He shouted back. The depressed Nilesy sat behind me, staring at his hands. I didn't really understand either parts – why Ridge was ignoring Nilesy, or why Nilesy was getting so upset. I gently put a hand on his shoulder, comforting him.

"Don't worry about Ridge. You know how he can be." I whispered. Nilesy perked up a bit, nodding. I stroked Mr Owl. "Alright then, Mr Owl. Let's go." The owl hovered for a few moments, before he began to fly. Soon we would find the four. Rythian, Lalna, Sjin and...Well, we didn't know who else. Xephos...oh, I hope you're ok! Please...please be safe.

* * *

"Not too far..." Nilesy muttered. "It's been, what, hours!"

"Nilesy, it's been 10 minutes." I replied. "Now stop complaining. I know Mr Owl isn't the fastest owl there is, but he's trying his best!" I scolded the man, who flinched and glanced away. Mr Owl hooted in appreciation, and I stroked him gently. I looked ahead, seeing something. "See? What did I—" I cut myself off, seeing the sight. Taint, and at the centre, Lalna and Sjin. I saw the unmoving body of Rythian, the Enderborn. Was he dead? My eyes noticed various tainted people in the taint, before my eyes landed on the two closest to the pair. Honeydew and...Xephos. No...He...Xephos...**why?** How did this happen? My anger was strong, my hand clenching into a fist. "Damn it!" I shouted, but none of them heard me. Well, apart from Nilesy and Mr Owl.

"Lomadia...calm down! We'll get him back, I promise!" Nilesy said quickly. "Look, right now we need to get Lalna and Sjin out of there! There's no time to be worrying about Xephos. We need Lalna to get the cure, so focus on getting them out of there!" He explained. I took a deep breath, sighing. 'Alright.' I thought.

"**Shut up!**" We were both shocked when we heard Sjin. "I'm going to destroy you! Whatever it takes, I will _end_ you!" This was a surprise. Sjin was NEVER like this! Xephos must have done something to just push him over the edge. Though, a lot of things could do that when you're at the end of the world. Nilesy and I exchanged glances for a moment before I turned to Mr Owl.

"Now, Mr Owl. We have to get them now." Mr Owl nodded, hooting as he descended.

_[Did I p̥̱̳r̪epa̗̘r̹̟̠̝͈ḙ you well enough, L͑ͭ́̀ͨo̬m̝͂͑̓̔̔̓͒ă̦ḓ̳̜̲̓͒i͔̳̬̙̞͎͇͑a̱͚͖̫̬̟͓̳͖̺̔̐ͅ? I suppose t̖͍͖͇̱͉̾ͥ͒͑ỉ̼̤̦ͬ̑m͚̤͇ͧ̇ͫ̊e̹ will tell.]_


	7. Bonds: SkyLox

"Ty! Slow down!" I looked down at my friend, smiling. He was panting, his trusty butter sword strapped across his back. His brown eyes looked up at me, instantly meeting my gaze. His eyes were so beautiful to me. "Look, I know you've got those fancy Ender Dragon wings, but I don't have shit! So please slow down." He called up to me. I laughed, swooping down so I landed beside him, my wings disappearing as I landed. Our fingers intertwined as we stood together.

"Alright, alright. I'll slow down for you, Sky." Sky gave me a quick cheeky peck on the cheek and I smiled more. We walked side by side. We didn't really know where we were going, we just felt like walking and suddenly we're nowhere near the Sky Army Base. It didn't really matter to either of us; we liked being alone together. The sun was warm on my skin, making me feel relaxed. It was around midday as we walked through across the plains. I was trying to work out where we were when Sky stopped. I blinked, glancing at my lover. "What's wrong?" He pointed ahead, where there was a large amount of purple land. I raised an eyebrow, the two of us walking closer. I felt his hands grip around my arm. "I'll protect you, Sky. Don't worry." I murmured and he nodded. We steadily got closer, but never touching. It was strange...I felt tired, weak. I had no idea what this stuff was, but it was affecting me. Falling to my knees, Sky wrapped his arms around my fragile body.

"Ty, what's wrong?" He asked, concern lining his words. I didn't reply, seeing a figure in the centre. Sky looked over at them, blinking. "Hey! What are you doing?!" He called. "Are you hurting Ty?" He asked. The figure turned to us, and the sight shocked us both. **No eyes**...what the fuck? Who the fuck was this guy?! Why did he have no eyes?! He was silent for a few moments, before a smirk formed on his face.

"...If he is the one with the E̫̪̰̳̜̘ͅn̤͉̘̫̠̠̩d̮͍͍̻̯ẹ͕͕̘̰r̞̫͚ Dragon's powers, then yes." I blinked. How did he know? I tried to stand, but an immense force was pushing me back down. "Heh...you're **feisty**, aren't you?" He chuckled. I watched as Sky stood in front of me, drawing his butter sword. "Oh, _brave_. You're going to protect him, huh?" The green and purple man simple held his arm out, beckoning to Sky for him to attack. "Well, come on then. Attack me."

"Wait, Sky-" I was too slow. I couldn't finish before Sky had blindly ran straight towards him, straight into the sea of purple ground. He stopped just in front of the green man. "Sky!" I shouted. No response. What WAS this purple shit? What did it do to Sky?! "Sky, talk to me!" Still no response. I instead decided to try talk to the stranger. "What did you do to him?! What are you?" The strange laughed. It sent shivers down my spine with the amount of insanity laced in it.

"My name is Alsmiffy, but that's not important. I am one with the Ta̗̠in̖̟͎̭̳t͓̘̬̻̩. The same taint that your _dear_ Sky just blindly ran into. Now...he will become one with it too." He explained. My hands were shaking. Sky...was going to become like HIM?! I couldn't let that happen. I slowly stood, ignoring the pain that the force created. My Ender sword formed in my hand, holding it in front of me. Alsmiffy clapped, mocking me. "Oh, so you've got a pretty sword. That didn't help Rythian that much!" That name...why was it familiar? The Endermen mentioned him before...as he was...the **Enderborn**. The Enderborn...what happened to him? Did this Alsmiffy...kill him? Or was it someone else? "Though... you ARE more powerful. Being part Ender Dragon, and not just Enderman." He suddenly appeared before me, causing me to stumble back. "Unfortunately the taint hasn't worked out how to infect those of Ender blood yet. But we'll keep you, since Rythian is **dead** and I don't know of any other part Ender creatures." Suddenly others appeared around us, Sky still motionless in the taint. I didn't recognise anyone. I guess that was a relief of some kind – nobody else was affected, or infected. Mitch, Jerome, Jason, Husky, Seto...damn, even Bodil is ok! All the guys would be safe... This brought peace to my mind. I was quickly snapped out of my peace by one of the strangers, who roughly forced my head to the ground, my sword being taken far out of my reach. "Eat the dirt, you Ender Dragon bastard!" His shouts hurt. Half my life I had spent hiding my Ender side, but Sky accepted me like this so I let it free. Now I was being punished for it all over again. I closed my eyes, my face bleeding slightly. "That's right, **give up!**"

"T-Ty..." My eyes shot open, looking over at Sky. He had turned and now he was facing us. I could see the 'taint' all over him – especially his eyes. His brown eyes that I loved so much had now become purple... Oh Sky... "Don't...g-give up..." This was the **real **him talking. How he managed it I didn't know, but I didn't care. This was all I needed. My Ender side flared, forcing those tainted back away from me. I glared at Alsmiffy, my eyes burning. My wings were out, stretched to their full length. My tail swished fiercely from side to side.

"You made a BIG mistake taking Sky from me!" I roared, lunging at the eyeless creep. I felt tendrils slash at me, trying to get me off their 'master'. Whether he was a master or not was just my speculation. I guess 'host' would be more accurate. I clawed at him, feeling satisfied when I heard his screams. But I needed to make it pay more... I turned onto the next 'person' I saw, though none of them were really 'people' anymore. This one...looked more like some kind of animal. It didn't matter to me though – I needed my revenge. I let my fangs sink deep into his skin, not as much noise being heard. Tasting the blood, though...heh. Suddenly I was knocked off of this animal, seeing Alsmiffy beside him. The looks in his eyes were of hatred, and not just because of my Ender heritage. "Tch... hit a soft spot, have I?" I muttered, my anger dimming for a second. They must be like me and Sky - in a relationship. I almost felt bad. This second allowed the taint to attack more fiercely, pinning me to the ground. My Ender powers were fading...soon I shifted back into my normal form. I looked over at Sky, who was standing above me. "S-Sky...I'm...sorry..." The world then faded to black.

_[Ty...please __d̤o̫̭̜̹͎n͔'̪̻ṯ̭͉̗__ give up]_

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Sky's POV

I watched my lover fall unconscious. Though, it didn't make me sad. Not anymore. He was different, and not in the good way. If only we could change him, then he'd understand. But no. His other side won't allow it. Ty...we'll make you better. We'll change you. You'll see that this is right. This is the best option. Please, just let us do this. I blankly looked around at the others. I didn't yet feel connected to them. I guess I would have to give it time. Allow bonds to form and others to break. We soon took Ty back to 'base', which turned out to be a large castle, surrounded in magnificent taint. I liked it more and more each second. I sat with Ty in the cell they had prepared. Soon I wouldn't care about him, and that is what scared me. Maybe that's why I wasn't full connecting so soon, because I wanted to hold onto him. The physical touch of his skin would hurt me now, like fire. There he sat, unconscious. Soon...his peace would be broken. I wouldn't be here for that. Not this me. This me is slipping away...the taint will take it. I stood, kicking the chair from under my 'friend'. This jolted him awake, his eyes blindfolded.

"F-Fuck..." His arms were chained to the ceiling, so now he was hanging. He could stand on the floor, but he couldn't quite kneel. "Damn...where the f-fuck am I? What have you done to Sky?!" Hearing his shouts pleased me for some reason. I couldn't quite put my finger on it... "Answer me! Where is Sky?!"

"...I'm right here." This stunned him, his shouts ceasing. I waited, and for a while neither of us spoke. "...If only you weren't part Ender Dragon..." I whispered, resting my hand on his cheek. I moved it up and through his hair soothingly. "Then we could be together." He pulled away.

"We WERE together. The taint is what pulled us apart!" He growled, anger clear in his tone. I chuckled slightly, shaking my head. "Sky...don't do this, please." Ty's whispers just made me happier. I slapped him, the sound echoing around the room for a moment.

"Ty...or, **Deadlox**." I watched him flinch. He preferred to be called Ty by me, so this stung him particularly badly. "I need to leave now. So, enjoy your time here." I walked over to the door, opening it slightly. "Oh...you don't mind hanging there, do you?" I laughed, before leaving the bastard alone.

_[I didn't want you to c̪h̲͚͖a̞n̯̝̤͚g̩͚e̞̗̜ͅ. But you did. I thought our __b̲͙͉o̲͇nd̙__ was strong enough...]_

* * *

Ty's POV

His laugh was the last thing I heard before silence. Silence, blindness, alone...things couldn't get much worse. I wished I could have saved him. Sky...I wanted to save you. Was my revenge all in vain? I had done nothing to help Sky – he was just like the others now. His humanity was gone, replaced by this sick, twisted taint. I guess he wasn't so far gone quite yet, but he would get there. I moved my wrists a little, the chains digging into them. Shit. At least my full weight wasn't on them constantly. I couldn't see anything; I could only listen. All I heard was my own breathing. It was recovering from the shock of what just happened. There I stood for who knows how long before I heard the door. Someone was coming in? My head moved instinctively towards it, but I still could not see.

"Hello, Ender Dragon." I didn't recognise this voice. "How long will it take you to **break**?" The voice was happy, unnerving me. Great... This is going to be a long torture session, I can feel it. And soon the torture began, and I wanted everything to end. My body was burning and hurting all over, many screams escaping my lips. I wanted to keep them in, to try and act strong. But it didn't work. Whoever this was, they kept wearing me down. Soon I'd give up...on everything...

_[Stay __s̳t̟̭̣ṟ̖o͍͇̙̭͈̜n̹͙͓g̠͖̝̗̙̗__, Ty. I believe in you. You might not __rea̘̲̘̜l͇i͚̞̟͉̙̫s̞̠͖̪͙̟e __that, but deep down I do!]_

* * *

A/N: Gotta love SkyLox xD Ok, my friend got me into this pairing, and this was actually the main reason I created these little backstories. As such, this is actually the longest one and the first one I was actually working on, just before I started the first Lalna one. This is also the last backstory, since I've skimmed through Tainted and there were _some_ other places I could _possibly_ do some, but I don't think they need them.


End file.
